


Nothing More Than A Weapon

by StudentOfEtherium



Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Autistic Peko, Fuyuhiko deserves no human rights, Gay Character, Gen, POV First Person, Pre-Despair (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25453885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StudentOfEtherium/pseuds/StudentOfEtherium
Summary: Peko had noticed the musician stalking her as soon as she began. She ignored her at first, assuming it to be nothing more than a passing crush, but now, weeks later, she persists, and her intent is far more questionable
Relationships: Mioda Ibuki & Pekoyama Peko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

I'd noticed the musician following me as soon as she started her stalking. Even without my training, I would've noticed her. A complete amateur at trailing and her daily wear is far from something that can blend in or go unnoticed. I ignored her at first, since I knew myself to be the target of her affection, rather than my young master. I wasn't too close or knowledgeable of my classmates, but I at least knew as much to know that the musician would be more likely to have an interest in me. I initially assumed this was just another short-lived crush, but as she kept at it, that idea fell through. But if not that, then why would she devote so much of her time to a weapon like me, nothing more than a tool. It had been weeks by that point. I was content to continue ignoring her. So long as she never uncovered my relationship with my young master, she would be harmless. 

Said relationship was increasingly strained. Young master's desire to stand apart from me went at odds with my mission and orders from his parents. I tried giving him more space. However, despite that space, I still kept my eye on him at school. He would tell me off whenever I made it too obvious, but unlike the musician, I had training and experience, so I was often able to keep track of him in spite of his pushback.

At home, it was more difficult for him to escape me. He and his sister shared an apartment paid for by their parents. It was quite a large apartment at two floors tall. They split the apartment, so both siblings had a floor to themselves. Young master had insisted on splitting the apartment to give each of us a space of similar sizes, but I insisted I have nothing more than a single room for sleeping and training. Eventually, an agreement was found by the young miss. I accepted having two of the rooms on my young master's floor to myself. I had little to do with either of them, but it solved the argument, so I accepted it. I cleared out the bigger room and turned it into a training room. The smaller room was my bedroom. 

My mission to protect my young master left me little downtime. That suited me, as even that little downtime felt like it deserved to be used for my young master. To that effect, I trained. That training in my swordcraft is what allowed me admission into Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Swordsman. I refused to allow myself anything else. I lived, breathed, and, if needed, would die for my young master. I was his tool and weapon to be used as he saw fit.

Mornings always started with cooking. First breakfast, then the day's lunches for the three of us. In addition to my swordcraft, I had been given lessons in cooking and housework, and as such, both were my job. The young miss had suggested hiring a maid for the apartment, but my young master had denied it. I didn't mind either way, as I was able to fulfill the role all the same. I ensured the two of them ate well and remained healthy. Breakfast was typically a light meal, meant to be eaten quickly in the little time we had available before we had to leave. Following that, I make and prepare lunch for my young master and the young miss, as well as myself. Each of the siblings had their own likes and dislikes in that regard, which kept their meals distinct. At first, I had prepared my lunch similar to my young master's, but he told me to stop for concerns of others noticing and discovering our relationship. With whatever remaining time I have, I clean the apartment and dress myself for school, as my young master and the young miss did likewise. 

Although I could drive, having been taught a couple years earlier, but for sake of public appearance, my young master's parents hired a driver. Any legal trouble incurred if I were to be caught would be dealt with by them, but they decided it's better to spend the money than risk a potential scandal. I agreed with their assessment. The driver arrived at the same time every day, and I ensured my young master and the young miss would never be late. At the scheduled time, we were waiting at our usual place. The car arrived and the siblings got in. I followed them and once we were all sitting down, breathed a sigh of relief. This car was one of the few places I knew my young master would be safe. Nothing short of well-placed explosives would be able to harm passengers.

As per my young master's orders, I was dropped off several blocks away from the school. From there, I walked on my own. We had quickly come to this agreement out of his desire to avoid association with me, since I knew he would be safe until he stepped out of the car. He wishes to avoid being seen arriving with me, and so this worked as a solution. I ran until I was on school grounds.

Once at school, I kept my eye on my young master while maintaining distance. The young miss went her own way to the reserve course classes. Much as I wished I could watch her as well, my duty was to my young master. I lagged behind, following him into the classroom. 

As I sat down in my seat, I noticed a small piece of paper taped to the side. I picked it up and parsed the crude handwriting.  _ Meet me behind the school at lunch. I know your secret.  _ I read it over a second time before glancing around the room. The musician had been staring at me over the top of a book she clearly wasn't reading. When she noticed me staring back, she ducked behind the book, pretending to have not seen me. I scowled. The language of the message was a lot less clear than the sender. I considered the possibilities to determine whether or not I should follow it up. At best, she has an idea about me that's completely baseless, in which case she's harmless. At worst, she's stumbled across the truth and would need to be dealt with.

I tapped my young master on the shoulder. “I suspect the musician has caught onto me. She asked me to talk to her over lunch, so I'll confirm what she knows then and handle it appropriately.” He groaned as he turned around to face me. I knew that for as much as he didn't want me to overly involve myself with him, he didn't want others stumbling across my employment in his service more. “That's fine. When you're done talking to her, text me the outcome. Don't come up to me unless you absolutely need to.”

A few other classmates walked in and he turned back around. He pulled out his phone and started texting his sister to pass the time. I placed the paper in my bag and went about watching the classroom and entrances carefully. Hope's Peak, as a famous and important school dedicated to raising students of such importance, was already well-defended. It not only hosted a world-class security team, but the school's natural defenses could bear anything less of a riot attacking the school head-on. That said, I was still unwilling to let my guard drop for even a second. An attack could still come from the inside the school, as either a compromised student or a compromised staff member could act as an assassin. I wasn't willing to let my focus slip, because even a second could prove to be fatal for my young master. Finally, the teacher joined us and class began.

Class happened as always. It's important to my duty to my young master that I be able to help him with his studies if need be, so I have always been as devoted to my school studies as any self-defense or homework lessons. Despite the attention I paid to the lessons, I was still always scanning the surroundings for danger. 

The bell for lunch rang. As usual, most students remained in the class. The nurse and the class representative ran off like usual, but this time, the musician followed. I said a few words to my young master about his lunch before following the musician.

Once we were both at the meeting place, she turned around and smiled. “Surprise! It's Ibuki!” I didn't reply. The musician bounced around a little before continuing. “You saw Ibuki's note and came here, so you must know what she wants to talk to you about?” I nodded and responded. “Personally, I'd be more comfortable if you recounted what you consider my secret to be before I say anything else.” The musician nodded. 

“Ibuki has figured out your relationship with Fuyuhiko!” I glanced at her and scanned around the area. We were alone. My eyes narrowed. “Define relationship.” She looked less certain. “Ibuki isn't quite sure what your relationship is, if she's being honest. You're not siblings, because Fuyuhiko already has a sister, and you're not dating, because you live together and I doubt your parents would allow that. So if Ibuki had to guess… You're his bodyguard?” I sighed deeply and glared at her. “How did you figure this out?”

“Ibuki found it pretty easy! She just followed you around a lot.” She paused. I kept my glare while I waited for her to continue. “...And Ibuki enlisted her fan club to spy on you. They caught pictures of you and him together a few times.” She dug through her bag and pulled out a few printed photos. They showed me entering our apartment building together after school, me leaving the car before school, and me with my young master on a weekend outing of his. I grabbed the photos from the musician’s hand. “Who else has seen these?” She began to look meek and shameful. “Only the people who took them. I didn't even share my conclusion with them.” She raised her arms in self-defense. I sighed. 

“Fine, so you're the only one I have to deal with. Why did you do this? Are you working for another gang? Trying to find blackmail material?” I started reaching for my sword on my back. “Wait wait waitwaitwait!” She started backing up. “Don't kill Ibuki! She can scream very loud.” I set my sword back. “Then explain.” She decomposed herself. “Ibuki noticed you and Fuyuhiko being together often and decided to investigate because she thought you might be a couple.” I nodded. “And you decided to bring this up to me because…?” The musician looked sheepish. “Ibuki wasn't actually sure about any of this and wanted to confirm it directly.” She laughed nervously. “Now that you know, what will you do with this information?” 

“Oh, well, uhhh…” She stuttered. I continued. “Because I'm quite familiar with your nature as a gossip. But my young master has made it very clear he doesn't want anyone knowing about our connection.” She paled. “Ibuki promises she won't tell anyone!” I sighed. “I don't think I have any choice but to believe you. My young master would be displeased if I ended up killing someone I didn't need to.” The musician gulped. I glared at her. “So hopefully, it won't be needed.” I turned around and started walking away.

On my way back to the classroom, I texted my young master. He was as unhappy with the events that had transpired as I was. Once I was back, I resumed my monitoring of the room and ate my lunch quickly. The musician didn't come back until just a few minutes before the bell rang. I glared at her as she entered. She gave me a nervous smile and returned to her seat. The rest of the day's classes passed quickly. Before long, the day was over. I left first, as was our regular routine, and left campus quickly. My young master's driver would have already arrived and been waiting, but the young miss always lingered longer. I made my way to the regular meeting spot where I would be picked up and waited. While I did so, I thought back to my encounter with the musician. After everything that had transpired, I could conclude she likely wasn't a threat to our secret. As much a gossip as she was, I believed I had scared her enough with my threats that she would stay silent.

My young master's driver arrived and after checking around for anyone watching me, I got in. I sighed deeply. “What's wrong, Peko?” The young miss said, noticing my fatigue. “Nothing that concerns you. A classmate of ours discovered the connection between my young master and I. We talked and I ensured she won't be telling anyone else about this.” The young miss giggled. “Maybe it'd be harder to figure out if you didn't cling to him all the time.” I glared at her and she stopped talking to me. She turned to my young master and the two started catching up on the day. I remained silent for the rest of the ride home.


	2. Chapter 2

When we got home, the young miss returned to her bedroom. She claimed she would be studying and working on homework. I knew she was lying and that she'd go back to her bedroom to text her friends for hours, but I was fine letting her do that. I'd nag her about it once I was done helping my young master with his homework. As we shared classes, our homework and studying material would be identical, so we were able to work through it together. It usually took us several hours to work through at the longest. The time passed with little to interrupt. Once we were done, I left my young master to spend the rest of the evening until dinner alone. I walked upstairs and knocked on the young miss’s door. “If you haven't started your homework yet, you should do that now.” I heard her rushing around the room to grab her bag and she shouted back to me. “Right. Was just about to start that!” 

Satisfied with her answer, I left and walked back downstairs. I wouldn't have to start dinner for another half hour, since the young miss had made a request earlier for Western cuisine that wouldn't take me too long to prepare. I cleaned out my bag that had gotten quite messy during the day. As I was removing things to clear it out, I found a small piece of paper I hadn't put in there. I examined it quickly and found it to be a torn piece of binder paper with a name, a phone number, and some words on it:  _ Ibuki <3 090-4135 call me _ . Seems my initial guess had been right. I considered calling her, but I decided I could just address it with her directly at school the next day. I put the paper on my desk, along with the textbooks that had been used that day, before replacing them with the textbooks I would need for the next day. I then put back everything else that had been taken up and resealed my bag. I placed it by the door, grabbed my sword, and left to train for the rest of the time I had until dinner. Training always goes by fast and before long, I was returning to my room to hang up my sword.

I washed up and started making preparations in the kitchen. I turned on the stove and set water to boil, then turned to work on side dishes. Fitting an apartment this expensive, the kitchen was a nice one, and since my young master's parents would pay for groceries, it was always well-stocked. My young master's tastes were always domestic, while the young miss would frequently have months-long periods where she would only give me requests from a single country. Last time, it had been Spain, which ended around the time we moved into our own apartment, but lately her fascination had turned towards Italy. As such, tonight I was making pasta. I wasn't anything like the cook my young master and I shared a class with, but I was good enough for those I looked over. This dish in particular was a simple preparation and before long it was done. I walked to my young master and the young miss’s rooms to tell them that the meal was ready, before returning to the kitchen. I set the table quickly and set dinner down, just in time for the siblings to arrive. With dinner came conversation. I opted to stay silent as the two siblings squabbled and chatted. I wouldn't have anything to add to the conversation, anyway.

After dinner, my young master and the young miss returned to their rooms. The young miss still had homework she needed to do, so I told her I would be checking in on her progress once I was done cleaning the kitchen as a means of not letting her slack off. With a simple preparation like I'd made, I didn't have much to clean. When I was done, I walked upstairs and knocked on the young miss’s door. “Where are you at with your homework?” She shouted back through the closed door. “I'm working on it, don't worry.” Satisfied, I walked back downstairs. With my chores for the night done and nothing else for me to do, I checked on my young master.

“Young master, are you okay?” I knocked on the open door before entering. He turned around and removed an earbud. “Huh? Yeah, I'm fine.” He motioned for me to leave. I stayed. “Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help you?” He groaned. “Yeah, Peko, I'm fucking sure. Go away.” I nodded and walked away. He had always had a rebellious streak, but lately it has gotten worse. His increased pushback against any aid I offered made it difficult for me to go about my job.

Rather than returning to my room, I paced around the apartment. I was sure to check for anything out of place that could be a concern. Finding nothing, I returned to my room.

It was well after sunset at this point, but it wasn't too late. Nonetheless, I prepared myself for bed. It was my responsibility to wake up at several points during the night to check the safety of my young master, so I frequently retired to bed early to allow myself a proper amount of sleep. As I came back from the bathroom, I knocked on my young master's door and let him know I would be going to bed. I turned off the lights in the front room and returned to my room once again. Sleep came quickly to me.

As per my schedule, I woke up at midnight and in the early morning to check the apartment. On my first patrol, I stopped by the young miss's room and told her to go to bed. Despite her grumbles, she complied, and upon finding nothing else out of the ordinary, I returned to my room. On the second patrol, there was nothing noteworthy.

The next day, our morning went as usual. Breakfast, lunch prepwork, and training sped by. As I was packing my bag, I decided to grab the phone number the musician had given me to bring to school, thinking I might find the time to bring it up with her. Before long, I was shoving the young miss out the door with her brother and dragging the pair down to where we met the driver every day. An ordinary morning.

In the car, my young master and the young miss began their typical conversation, but before long, my young master turned to me. “Peko, I want you to go talk to Mioda again. I know you threatened her yesterday, but I want you to guarantee she won't tell anyone.” I nodded. “I'll find the time during our lunch break, then.” Then, remembering the paper she had given me, I brought it up in conversation. “Yesterday, the musician slipped a piece of paper into my bag during our exchange. It had her phone number.” 

The young miss giggled. “Someone has a crush on Peko. A girl, even.” My young master glared at her. “Do you have a problem with that?” She blushed and held up her hands defensively. “Nope!” She laughed nervously. “I consider myself an ally to the LGBT community.” My young master eased up. “Good.” The young miss breathed a sigh of relief.

I picked up where the conversation had been interrupted. “I'll get in touch with her as soon as I'm at school and we'll talk about it at lunch. I'll ensure she has no chance of leaking this information.” He nodded. The car reached my drop-off point and I got out. I glanced around, but once again, I saw no one. Either the musician had called back her spies or this spy network was highly professional. I ran to school.

I passed the young miss as I walked towards the school building. I got to the classroom and sat down at my desk. Once again, there was another piece of paper taped to the side.  _ Lunch again? Same place _ . I glanced across the room. This time, the musician was waving at me happily. I stared at her until eventually she stopped. Over the next few minutes, the rest of the class came in and the lesson began.


	3. Chapter 3

The lunch bell rang. The musician left and I quickly followed her. Once again, we met at the same spot. This time, when I arrived, she was sitting down. I sat down next to her and reached into my bag to grab the piece of paper she had slipped in the day prior. When the musician saw it, her face lit up. “Oh, you did find Ibuki's note! Ibuki was worried you hadn't found it since you didn't text or call her.” I handed the paper back to her. “I'm sorry, but I don't make small talk. I have a phone purely for communication with my young master and the young miss, as well as their parents and any tasks I do for them. If you try to call me, I will ignore you. If you're trying to hit on me, give up now. I don't date. Even if I cared, I've never been attracted to anyone, let alone girls. Any attraction of my own would be wasted on a mere tool such as myself.” The musician stared at the paper in my hand. “Ibuki thinks you misunderstood her. While you are Ibuki's type, she's not trying to hit on you.” She laughed. “Ibuki thinks you're cool, but from everything she's seen about your relationship with Fuyuhiko, she thinks you need to work less.” I sighed. “I don't know what assumptions you're making about me, but I assure you, I am content with my role as my young master's tool. I need nothing more in life than I do now.” The musician sighed and began looking annoyed. “This is exactly what I meant!” She turned to face me. “You're a person, Peko! You deserve to see yourself as such. It's unfair that you limit yourself and don't allow yourself individuality. You deserve to be yourself rather than a tool.” I stared at her. “Mioda, if you are trying to push this, it shows you know nothing about my perspective on the matter at hand.” I stood up and grabbed my bag. “I came out here to discuss one thing and one thing only. My young master wants me to make sure you nor anyone else will leak this information.” I gestured to my sword. “I'm not just my young master's tool. I am his weapon to defend him as needed. If you are deemed a threat to his secrets or his safety, you will be dealt with properly.” The musician paled. “Ibuki promised yesterday she wouldn't! That's still true! Ibuki hasn't told anyone and the people who helped her uncover this information never had the full picture. Only Ibuki knows.” I turned to walk away. “Then keep it that way. And call off your spy network, if you haven't already.” As I walked away, the musician yelled after me. “Ibuki already did! And it's not a spy network, it's just her fan club!” I ignored her.

I returned to the classroom and started eating lunch. While doing so, I texted my young master a summary of the conversation. “ _ It seems I am the musician's target, as we suspected, but it doesn't seem like she's attracted to me. I'm still unclear on her goal, but she doesn't pose a threat to you.  _ He didn't respond, but sitting behind him I was able to see him receive and read the message. I sighed. Dealing with the musician would likely continue to be a headache.

Shortly before the bell rang, the musician returned. I glared at her as she walked to her desk, but she never looked back at me. It seems my intimidation finally got to her. The teacher returned and class began once again. The second half of the day passed as usual. After school, as I turned to leave, I glanced across the room at the musician. She didn't seem to be paying attention to me, instead talking with a couple of our classmates. I turned and left the classroom.

In the car, the young miss was telling my young master about her plans for the weekend. Despite the care and attention I gave her, she was not my responsibility and thus I wouldn't have to accompany her. I ignored her rambling until my young master found a break in the conversation to interrupt her. “Peko.” I looked at him. “Are you absolutely certain Mioda won't be telling others?” I nodded. “I observed her behavior in class and she seemed less fixated on me now. Whatever lingering focus I draw from her is diminished and regardless, she has made it clear you are not her target.” The young miss giggled. “So Peko finally managed to find someone who had a crush on her and her first reaction was to try and scare her away? Figures.” My young master punched his sister on the shoulder. “I told her to.” The young miss giggled harder. “Yeah, of course she would listen to an order like that.” I spoke up. “Mioda told me her interest in me is neither romantic nor sexual. We discussed this and from her words, I chose to believe her.” The young miss's laughter increased. “And you believed her?” I ignored her attempts at provocation. My young master and the young miss resumed their previous conversation, which continued until we got home.

Once the three of us stepped into the apartment, the siblings ran back to their rooms. As it was a weekend, my young master and I didn't have as much homework as we did the previous evening. On Friday nights, I opted to let my young master rest. With the time I had available to me from that, I went about cleaning the apartment. Neither sibling was especially messy or disorganized, but with three people, a lot could pile up in a week. I vacuumed the floors and dusted surfaces as needed, but those were rather easy matters. Unfortunately, they were time-consuming, and by the time I was done, I had to start dinner. At my young master's request, it was a traditional domestic dish, with a longer prep time than the meal the night prior. Nonetheless, before long I was done and gathered my young master and the young miss into the kitchen. We ate dinner and the duo made conversation. Once they were done, each ran back to their rooms and I cleaned up. Once I was done in the kitchen, I returned to my room.

I had started emptying my bag when I noticed my phone had a new message.  _ Hey Peko it's Ibuki! Natsumi gave me your phone number so now Ibuki can keep in touch with you when we're not at school <3 (but platonically). _ I sighed and ignored the text. I quickly finished removing the books from my bag and setting them on the desk. I opted to not repack immediately. I dug through to make sure the musician hadn't slipped me more notes unnoticed.

I decided to walk upstairs and visit the young miss. I knocked on her door and waited for a reply. There was a several second pause before she responded. “Yeah? What is it?” I sighed. “Young miss, we may need to talk.” There was another pause, this time filled with the sounds of typing. She sighed. “I guess? Door’s unlocked.” I opened it and entered, closing it behind me.

The young miss's room was fairly normal by teen girl standards. One would've never known from looking at it what her family did and was responsible for. It was rather messy, with several piles of clothes scattered throughout as well as things like books and magazines spread haphazardly. On the walls were posters for fashion brands and musicians she was a fan of, as well as flowery decorations. However, if one looked closer, the facade would begin to crack. The young miss kept a pair knives at her desk, one of which she was currently fidgeting with. Several of the books laying around her room related to the history of the Yakuza and the magazines related to a mix of fashion and current events, globally and domestically. Despite her external appearance, the young miss was the daughter of a gang leader all the same.

I sat down on her bed and faced her. She sat at her desk and looked at me. She had clearly been in call with her friends until I interrupted and her headphones still laid around her neck. “The musician contacted me via text. She said you gave her my phone number. Why?” The young miss shrugged. “She asked politely. And anyway, who am I to stand in the way of young love?” She laughed. I glared. “As established, it's not romantic for either Mioda or I. What you did is dangerous because it could make your brother and I’s relationship more public.” She rolled her eyes. “It doesn't fucking matter if people know you work for Fuyuhiko because it's not information that would meaningfully change anything. Everyone knows about our parents! Any danger he's in is already there!” She picked up the other knife off her desk and threw it across the room at a small target hanging on her closet door. She stood up to retrieve it and as she passed me, continued. “If you're trying to figure out how to protect him better, teach him self-defense. Trying to keep this shit a secret won't help anything.” I shook my head. “You misunderstand. My desire to keep this is not my own. I'm merely acting on my young master's orders. If you take issues with the orders I'm given, address the person who gave them, not me.” She groaned. “Yeah yeah. ‘I'm just following orders.’” She glared at me. “So did you just come here to lecture me, or do you have anything else to say?” I shook my head and started standing up. “This is all I came for.” She gestured for me to leave. I walked towards the door. She continued glaring at me as I opened it and left. As I closed the door, I heard a thud on the other side, followed by footsteps.

Instead of returning to my room, I decided to visit my young master's room. Unlike his sister's room, my young master kept his room rather sparse. It was still slightly messy, with a growing pile of dirty clothes around his laundry basket in the corner. He had several bookshelves filled with books and DVDs. On the wall facing his bed, there was a TV connected to the computer on his desk. The room was otherwise bare. His door was left open as it often was. As I entered, he took out his earbuds and faced me. 

“Your sister gave Mioda my phone number. I talked to her about it and she reacted with hostility. If you want to make sure she doesn't tell others about our relationship, you're going to need to deal with her yourself.” He grumbled to himself before nodding. I nodded back before continuing. “Do you have plans for this weekend, or will we be staying in?” He shook his head. “I have no plans at the moment. Maybe someone will invite me to something tomorrow, but I think I just want to stay in.” I nodded. “Okay. I shall plan accordingly.” I returned to my room briefly to grab my sword and spent the rest of the night training.


	4. Chapter 4

Come Monday, there was yet another note on my desk.  _ Same time, same place. Ibuki's not rehashing the same conversation a third time, she promises.  _ I sighed and informed my young master. The day passed quickly and when lunch came, the musician and I left together. She ran ahead of me and I, in no particular hurry, let her go ahead. When I arrived at the now typical spot, she wasn't there. I stood around for several minutes before she appeared. She passed me and sat down in the same spot as the last time we had met here.

She gestured. “You should sit down. Ibuki plans this one to be long.” I stared at her, before complying.

The musician reached into her bag, taking out her lunch and setting it in the grass. She reached in again and pulled out a pair of cans. She placed one next to her lunch and gestured the other at me. “Ibuki figured since she's going to be taking up so much of your time, she might as well give you something in return.” She smiled and gestured again, silently asking me to take it. I stared at her. “Ibuki stopped by the vending machine on her way here, that's why she was late!” She pulled back the can to reexamine it. “Ibuki didn't know what kind of drink you'd like, so she bought you a coffee. You seem like the type to drink coffee.” She tried handing the can to me again. I took it from her hand and examined it. It was an ordinary can of vending machine coffee. 

“I do drink coffee, on occasion, mostly when I need to ensure I will be active and aware for the safety of my young master.” She smiled. “And is it something you like drinking?” I cracked open the can and sipped a little to taste. “It's bitter. Not particularly sweet. The flavor lingers in the mouth.” The musician shook her head. “Those are facts! Ibuki is wondering what  _ you _ think. What does Peko Pekoyama think of coffee? What is her opinion?” I set the can down next to me.

“I have no opinion.” I opened my bag and removed my lunch. “All that matters are the traits it possesses. My feelings towards it extend no further than that.” The musician frowed. “You took the drink when Ibuki offered it. Doesn't that mean you wanted to drink it?” I sighed. “My orders are to fit in at school and not draw attention to myself. Even when it's with someone who already knows our secret, I try to keep myself to a level of politeness that is acceptable.” She sighed and fell back into the grass. “Is there anything about you that's  _ you _ !?” I shook my head. “You seem to think I'm something I'm not. I am not a person like you or my young master. I am a tool and a weapon. That's all. That's all I need to be.” The musician whined as she sat up. “There surely must be something about you, Peko, that's  _ you _ . A type of music you like, a favorite kind of food, a TV show you like! Something!” I shook my head. “I have none of those. I exist for the sake of my young master. Nothing more is needed.” I paused, then continued. “Is all you planned for today that we repeat this same line of conversation for an hour? If so, I'm sorry but I could spend my time better in the classroom ensuring my young master's safety.” The musician side-eyed me. “That's not all Ibuki wanted to say.” 

She stopped and sighed. Without explaining further, she opened her lunch and started eating. I nodded and followed suit. I caught her glancing at my lunch. “Do you make your own lunch?” I nodded. “I make lunch for my young master and the young miss, as well as myself. It's a way I can ensure they are eating healthy.” The musician nodded. “That's cool. Ibuki wishes she could cook. Well, Ibuki can cook, but she's bad at it, so her mom always makes her lunch for her.” I stared at her. She stared back.

“So tell me what your daily life is like.” I continued eating silently. “Ibuki's just curious!” I didn't respond. She started pouting. I sighed. “My day consists of caring for my young master and the young miss. What that entails is cooking and cleaning, as well as talking with them to make sure things like homework and studying get done. If I have free time, I spend it training in my swordcraft in case it's ever needed to protect my young master.” She looked at my lunch. “So Ibuki supposes you're pretty good at cooking, then, having to cook for three people all the time.” I nodded. “I suppose I am. I don't always cook for my young master and the young miss, since they request we eat out or order in occasionally, but more often than not, I am preparing all of our meals.” The musician nodded. “That's really cool, Peko!” She continued. “And you said you do all the housework, too? That must be a lot for one high school girl, especially one who gets good grades like you do. Forget Ultimate Swordsman, you could probably be the Ultimate Child Caregiver or the Ultimate Maid if you tried!” She laughed. “I suppose. I don't take issue with my talent. Swordcraft is what I'm good at and it serves a purpose in my life.” The musician nodded.

“So would you say you like your talent?”

I started to respond, before cutting myself off. She took this opportunity to continue. “Is training in your swordcraft you enjoy? Is it something you find satisfying?” I stayed silent. “Or is it something you only do because you want to protect Fuyuhiko?” I started to respond before she cut me off. “Because frankly, if you're doing it just to protect Fuyuhiko, then you're pretty terrible at your job. You're Yakuza. You could just use a gun!” I shushed her. “Quiet down. If anyone heard that…” She waved me down. “Don't worry, Peko. Ibuki picked this spot because it's always empty during lunch.” I sighed. “That may be true, but I don't want you being mouthy.” She nodded. “Fine, fine. Ibuki will be quiet.”

She laughed. “But you still never refuted Ibuki. A gun’s nothing to the Yakuza.” I looked down. “It would be harder to bring a gun into situations like school or public life.” The musician shook her head. “That's not an excuse. Any other school wouldn't allow you to bring a sword to school and Hope's Peak only let you in  _ because  _ of your swordcraft. There has to be another reason.” She leaned back, resting on her hands behind her, holding her up. “And Ibuki suspects that reason is your genuine enjoyment in practicing your swordcraft.”

I didn't respond. She didn't follow it up. We sat in silence for several minutes, eating our lunch. I was unable to refute her words. Despite that, I knew my training in my swordcraft was for my young master. Everything I did, every action, every breath, every step was for my young master. I had no purpose other than to protect and care for him.

The musician finished her lunch and shoved the box back into her bag, before turning back to me. “So! Have you had time to think about what Ibuki said?” I didn't respond. “Because if I had to guess, you're scrambling to find excuses here.” I immediately noticed a change in her demeanor. “If I had to guess, you're thinking about ways that your enjoyment of swordcraft isn't real and exists only for Fuyuhiko.” I stared at my lap. “So I think I'll drop that subject for now. Pushing this won't do us any good. I have nothing more to say about this.” She laid down in the grass again. “But I will push other things.” I sighed. She continued. “I'm running my mind through things teen girls like. As you can probably tell from my fashion sense, I'm not exactly one to keep with what's hip. I don't especially mind, but it makes connecting with things like this hard.” 

She started rambling. I stared at her. “You most definitely are not the type for kitschy keychains. You already said you don't listen to music, you don't watch TV…” She trailed off. “Y'know, Peko, you're hard to read.” I picked up the can of coffee she'd given me earlier. I'd barely touched it up until now. “I wonder if you're into cute animals.” I flinched, before immediately recovering. 

“Oooooh? I caught that.” She laughed. “I never would've suspected the stoic Ms. Peko was a fan of cute small animals. I suppose it's an ironic contrast, then.” Ignoring her, I took a sip from the can. Despite my silence, she continued. “And I don't want you to feel bad about this, to be clear! I don't have an issue with you being like this! It's a good thing. It's your human side. It's something about you that resembles a normal teen girl.” She laughed at her own remark. “As if anyone at this school is normal.”

She sat up and grabbed her bag. “I think the bell's going to ring soon. We should get going.” I nodded. As I started to pack up, I realized I hadn't finished my lunch. I quickly ate the rest of it and packed up. As we left, I finished off the can I had been given.

The musician looked at me. “You've been silent a while. Is it intentional, or…” She trailed off. I shook my head. “Ah. Sorry.” She looked to be thinking. “Since you're probably overwhelmed right now, why don't you head to the nurse's office? Ibuki will cover for you and tell Mikan to swing by.” I stared at her. “It'll be fine, don't worry. That was probably a lot for you.” I nodded.

I walked to the nurse's office and sat down on one of the beds. I texted my young master, explaining what had happened. He let me know that the musician had also told him about it. I set my bag down beside the bed and laid down. At some point the nurse came by and doted on me. I complied with her instructions until she said I was ready to return to class.

By the time I returned home with my young master and the young miss, I was verbal again. I went about my duties around the house and with the siblings, as usual, but once I was done, I couldn't help but collapse in bed. My thoughts kept returning to the conversation with the musician earlier, but whenever I would try to have a new thought about it, I just became more tired. I was about to go to bed when I noticed my phone, which I had put on my desk, had a notification. I walked over to the desk and picked it up. Returning to the bed, I read it over.  _ Heyyy! Ibuki hopes you're doing better now! Sorry about earlier, Ibuki really didn't mean for things to be that hard on you. How are you doing now? Practicing swordcraft, Ibuki assumes? See you tomorrow <3 (again that's platonic) _ . I read over the message a few times before sighing. I laid back down and started typing a response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is an idea that started when i realized Peko is basically Shichika from Katanagatari crossed with Hayasaka from Kaguya-sama (while writing it i realized she not just that, but also very much "that but mom"). i had the idea that it's be gay by the end, but in retrospect it wouldn't have fit this setup very well
> 
> i don't like Fuyuhiko! so the idea of writing a fic where he's a central character was a little intimidating, but i think the three here have a really good dynamic together and I had a lot of fun writing them and their domestic life 
> 
> i know this ends really quickly, but I'm planning a sequel. the last chapter or so of this was pretty tiring to write, but i reached the ending this was always meant to have. any sort of followup will exist to tie up various loose ends as well as give myself an excuse to write these characters again
> 
> uhhh if you like this, let me know. kudos and comments feed me and encourage me


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